Chapter 8 I didn't reach out to Jared for the next two days . I was too caught up in the whirlwind of wedding preparations to even think about anything else . On his end , things were unraveling . His face clouded over as he stared down at the hand pie and hash browns tossed in the trash . The little note he'd written had been blown to the floor , trampled under his feet again and again . Regret flickered across Elsie's face as she retrieved the hand pie and hash browns from the trash . " Professor Hammond , you waited in line for half an hour to get these . Ms. Clarke clearly doesn't value your effort . " She picked up a hash brown and raised it to her mouth , but Jared slapped it out of her hand . " Are you out of your mind ? That's been in the trash for hours . It's filthy and probably spoiled . " Tears brimmed in Elsie's eyes as she spoke , every word heavy with emotion . " But I don't care ! I don't care how dirty or rotten it is . Jared , as long as I'm with you , none of that matters ! " She clung to Jared , blind to the cold , distant look on his face . " No way . This can't be happening ! " Jared's eyes were locked on the trash can . Without a word , he reached in and pulled out a bracelet . " Willow never took this off . Why would it be here ? " he muttered , pulling out his phone and scrolling through his WhatsApp contacts , but his chatlog with me was gone . It took a long , foggy moment before he remembered that he'd blocked me . His fingers moved fast , almost frantic , as he went to unblock me . " Willow , where are you ? I'll come get you , " he texted . When he didn't receive a reply after a few seconds had passed , Jared's brows drew together in a frown . I used to keep my phone practically glued to my hand , terrified that I'd miss one of his messages . I also always kept a power bank with me , never letting my battery die . This was the first time I hadn't replied right away . Panic surged through Jared . His heart pounded as he tore down the hallway to the guest room , then frantically searched every corner of the house . Aside from a few pieces of clothing I'd left behind , there was no trace of me . Not even a single photo of us remained . He kept calling my number , again and again , but all he got was the same automated message . The number he'd dialed was currently unavailable .